Three Plays by Granville-Barker Part 56

EDWARD. What else is there to be done?

ALICE. Well . . have you thought?

EDWARD. There's nothing else to be done.

ALICE. On principle.

_He looks at her, she is smiling, it is true, but smiling quite gravely._ EDWARD _is puzzled. Then the yeast of her suggestion begins to work in his mind slowly, perversely at first._

EDWARD. It had occurred to Booth. . .

ALICE. Oh, anything may occur to Booth.

EDWARD. . . In his grave concern for the family honour that I might quietly cheat the firm back into credit again.

ALICE. How stupid of Booth!

EDWARD. Well . . like my father . . Booth believes in himself.

ALICE. Yes, he's rather a credulous man.

EDWARD. [_ignoring her little joke._] He might have been lucky and have done some good. I'm a weak sort of creature, just a collection of principles as you say. Look, all I've been able to do in this business . .

at the cost of my whole life perhaps . . has been to sit senselessly by my father's side and prevent things going from bad to worse.

ALICE. That was worth doing. The cost is your own affair.

_She is watching him, stilly and closely. Suddenly his face lights a little and he turns to her._

EDWARD. Alice . . there's something else I could do.

ALICE. What?

EDWARD. It's illegal.

ALICE. So much the better perhaps. Oh, I'm lawless by birthright, being a woman.

EDWARD. I could take the money that's in my father's name and use it only to put right the smaller accounts. It'd take a few months to do it well . . and cover the tracks. That'd be necessary.

ALICE. Then you'd give yourself up as you'd meant to do now?

EDWARD. Yes . . practically.

ALICE. It'd be worse for you then at the trial?

EDWARD. [_with a touch of another sort of pride._] You said that was my affair.

ALICE. [_pain in her voice and eyes._] Oh, Edward!

EDWARD. Shall I do this?

ALICE. [_turning away._] Why must you ask me?

EDWARD. You mocked at my principles, didn't you? You've taken them from me. The least you can do is to give me advice in exchange.

ALICE. [_after a moment._] No . . decide for yourself.

_He jumps up and begins to pace about, doubtful, distressed._

EDWARD. Good Lord . . it means lying and shuffling!

ALICE. [_a little trembling._] In a good cause.

EDWARD. Ah . . but lying and shuffling takes the fine edge off one's soul.

ALICE. [_laughing at the quaintness of her own little epigram._] Edward, are you one of G.o.d's dandies?

EDWARD. And . . Alice, it wouldn't be easy work. It wants qualities I haven't got. I should fail.

ALICE. Would you?

_He catches a look from her._

EDWARD. Well, I might not.

ALICE. And you don't need success for a lure. That's like a common man.

EDWARD. You want me to try to do this?

_For answer, she dares only put out her hand, and he takes it._

ALICE. Oh, my dear . . cousin!

EDWARD. [_excitedly._] My people will have to hold their tongues. I needn't have told them all this to-day.

ALICE. Don't tell them the rest . . they won't understand. I shall be jealous if you tell them.

EDWARD. [_looking at her as she at him._] Well, you've the right to be.

This deed . . it's not done yet . . is your property.

ALICE. Thank you. I've always wanted to have something useful to my credit . . and I'd almost given up hoping.

_Then suddenly his face changes, his voice changes and he grips the hand he is holding so tightly as to hurt her._

EDWARD. Alice, if my father's story were true . . he must have begun like this. Trying to do the right thing in the wrong way . . then doing the wrong thing . . then bringing himself to what he was . . and so me to this. [_he flings away from her._] No, Alice, I won't do it. I daren't take that first step down. It's a worse risk than any failure.

Think . . I might succeed.

ALICE _stands very still, looking at him_.

ALICE. It's a big risk. Well . . I'll take it.